Thursday 13 June 2024

T&L Blog (18-03-24): Formative Assessment

 Dear WA colleagues,

I recently came across an impactful blog. In the EEF Blog, Prof. Rob Cole looks at the different assessment purposes to help teachers and school leaders. Revisiting our assessment practices in Term 4, considering the basic and simple strategies that can significantly impact our practice on student outcomes and incorporating them to support our learners' achievement will make small steps hugely impactful in our practice. Objectives: To understand some of the key aspects of Formative Assessment and how to incorporate them effectively in our practice. 

Summary: Formative Assessment is a set of teaching and learning processes that empower children to progress and become owners of their learning. Summative Assessment is the measuring or testing of learning so far and is quite different in its design. Formative Assessment is about teaching and learning and enabling progress to be measured. Think of formative assessment ass the following elements, all of which overlap and depend upon each other to maximise their effectiveness: 

• Setting the scene to create confident learners. 

• Organising effective talk and discussion 

• Establishing learning intentions and success criteria so that children know the purpose of their learning and to reach goals. 

• Uncovering children’s understanding through questioning and on-the-move feedback. 

• Helping children know how to identify success and understanding how to improve. Elements of Formative Assessment A learning culture that: A self – efficacy and knowing how to learn. 

• Sharing Learning intentions and success criteria • Feedback which focuses on success and improvement 

• Effective talk: activating students as learning resources for one another. 

• A continuing quest to reveal student understanding. How does this impact me and my practice? Some reflections arising from this that might be helpful to consider are:  

• What experiences of student loneliness have I noticed? 

• What have I done about it so far? 

• What support do I need about it? 

• How might Formative assessment strategies support supports improve their learning and be metacognitive? 

Further Reading: 

• Embedding Formative Assessment https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/projects-andevaluation/projects/embedding-formative-assessment 

• EEF Blog: Assessing learning in the new academic year (Part 1 of 2) – three key questions for school leaders to consider. https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/news/eef-blog-assessing-learningin-the-new-academic-year-part-1 

• Feedback https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/education-evidence/teachinglearning-toolkit/feedback 

By Mary Acquah


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